Monday, February 28, 2011

Many ancient civilizations in the past respect animals with behaviors like human beings. One of those animals displaying human traits is wild geese.

Wild geese live together and fly in flock like brothers and sisters and family members. The formation they take is called V or Vic formation and it reduces aerodynamic drags from wind and helps them to fly farther with less efforts. Also, when the leading goose at front gets tired facing the wind, the trailing goose at the very back of the team will move forward and take over the role; former leader will then become the second goose in the formation, taking some rest. And the process takes turn alternating between left and right wing. This way everybody gets a chance to face the front wind and rest well long enough before taking the lead again.

There are plenty of stories from grain farmers who tell of how geese would come back to look for lost goose in between flying in flock. They seem not easily abandon their flying members, and in doing so, unfortunately fall into victims of goose hunting. Goose hunters know this well enough and that's why techniques like goose decoys and goose calling work well to attract geese for hunting.

We don't kill our brothers/sisters/father/mother; why do we then kill others' brothers/sisters/ father/mother? Just that they look so different than human beings doesn't make them less living beings. Unfortunately, again, human beings don't get this well.

Don't hunt geese, or any other animals.

Animals are just like us; albeit bearing different skins and looks.

PS:(1) I read about wild geese flying formation long ago and if the info given isn't accurate or wrong please do correct me so. Thanks!(2) Comic drawn by 牧谷(Mu Gu). All photoes of geese flying from internet. Do let me know if any of them are copyrighted.

About Me

John Lew, an acupuncturist and physician of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), lives and practices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is a graduate of Shandong University of TCM, China, and Iowa State University of Science and Technology, USA. He shares things on what he believes matter to our souls. His clinical practice includes internal medicine, gynecology, paediatrics with acupuncture and herbal treatments.